George Bush: a career in pictures

19 January 1999: Texas governor George W Bush and his wife Laura ride in the inaugural parade after he was sworn in for his second term in Austin, Texas Photograph: Harry Cabluck/AP

20 January 2001: Bush is sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States Photograph: Win McNamee/Reuters

23 February 2001: Bush walks with Tony Blair and Bush's dog Spot, following lunch at Camp David, Maryland, USA Photograph: Doug Mills/AP

14 September 2001: Bush speaks to volunteers and firefighters at the site of the World Trade Centre in New York Photograph: Paul Richards/EPA

16 October 2002: Bush signs the joint congressional resolution authorising the US to use of force against Iraq Photograph: LUKE FRAZZA/AFP/Getty Images

24 May 2002: Bush with Russian president Vladimir Putin following the signing of an arms treaty at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia Photograph: Doug Mills/AP

1 May 2003: Bush arrives on aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where he announced that all major combat in Iraq had ended Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

11 July 2003: Bush blows a kiss goodbye after visiting a clinic that cares for those with Aids and their families in Entebbe, Uganda Photograph: Brooks Kraft/Corbis

16 October 2003: Bush steps up to the podium after being introduced by California governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Radisson Hotel in San Bernardino, California Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

19 January 2005: Bush and his daughters Jenna, left, and Barbara leave a ball on the eve of Bush's inauguration in Washington DC Photograph: Matt Campbell/EPA

8 May 2005: Bush and Putin wave as the two presidents go for a ride in Putin's 1956 Volga at his residence outside of Moscow Photograph: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images

31 August 2005: Bush surveys the damage left by hurricane Katrina as he flies over New Orleans, Louisiana, in Air Force One Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

30 June 2006: Bush teases first lady Laura under the belly of Air Force One as they wait for the Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to arrive at Andrews air force base in Maryland Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP

28 December 2006: Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice at his ranch in in Crawford, Texas where they discussed the US strategy in Iraq Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

22 February 2007: Bush speaks to reporters during a tour of Novozymes North America, Inc, a biotech firm that produces enzymes for industrial use Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

25 September 2007: Bush and Condoleezza Rice attend a meeting of the UN security council on Africa in New York Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

25 April 2007: Bush and first lady Laura dance with members of the Kankouran West African dance company in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, during a Malaria awareness event Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

12 January 2008: Bush at US camp Arifjan, Kuwait City. Bush met his top political and military commanders in Iraq at the base a day after conceding that US troops could stay in Iraq for a decade Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

15 June 2008: The Queen and Prince Philip give a tour of St George's Hall to Bush and first lady Laura at Windsor Castle Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

November 10 2008: Bush and president-elect Barack Obama meet at the White House Photograph: Eric Draper/White House/Reuters

19 December 2008: Palestinian demonstrators hold placards topped with shoes in solidarity with Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who was arrested in Iraq after throwing his shoes at Bush Photograph: Abbas Momani/AFP/Getty Images

12 January 2009: Bush during his last news conference as US president before President-elect Barack Obama was sworn in Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

October 2010: NBC journalist Matt Lauer speaks to Bush in his first one-on-one tv interview since leaving the White House Photograph: NBCUphotobank/Rex Features